Hand duster



Nov. 18, 1941.

c. P. DODGE HAND DUSTER Filed April 5, 1940 Patented Nov. 18, 1941 D-Je S-TATE P TE omcs 2,262,888 I l g HAND DUSTER I I I Charlotte Dodge, Chevy Chase, I 1 Application April'3, 1940, Serial No. 327,711

" 2 Clai ms.: (01.15-14'7) This invention relates' to dusting devices and particularly to flat, fabric-covered dusters intended for use in dusting bookshelves and for dusting through and behind radiators and in similarly constricted spaces. v

Many efforts have been made to devise a device of this type which would combine satisfactory operating characteristics with moderate cost and reasonable durability. A cluster of this type must be quite thin. It must have a high degree of flexibility combined with sufficient stiffness to render it an effective instrument.

One type of duster known to me embodies a loop of spiral spring connected to a handle and covered with a bag or envelope which is fastened with a draw-string. This type of device is fa1rly stiff when straight, if the spring is wound closed, i. e. with the turns in contact, but has a tendency to collapse when flexed. A spiral spring having satisfactory physical characteristics is, moreover,

of considerable diameter with the result that the duster is unduly thick.

The present invention contemplates a duster head comprising one or more resilient loops, two loops in a common plane being preferred. These loops are of compound construction. Each includes a flat zig-zag spring wire core, the zig-zag core being formed with a bow or loop at each reversal of direction to increase flexibility. Around such core is vulcanized an envelope of high grade rubber or similar material. The ends of the wire cores are clamped between two faces of a flat, hollow, sheet-metal shell before the rubber is applied. The shell is preferably perforated to bond with the rubber envelopewhich is formed over the shell and the cores in one piece, to form the complete duster head.

The head can be made integrally with the handle which preferably is of oval cross section, at least adjacent the head.

A preferred embodiment of the invention W111 now be described in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete duster head constructed according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a similar perspective View showing the dusting envelope in place on the head.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view through the metal frame or shell showing how the wire loops are attached, the parts bemg shown prior to the molding of the rubber envelope.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Flgure 3.

' Figure 5 is a fragmentary view-of ferre'dform'of wire reinforce. v p

Referring first to Figures, 3 ande, 6 represents a flattened, hollow sheet-metal shell which at its lower margin comprises two plate-like elements I spaced apart to receive between them the two ends of each of two U-shaped spring core members generally indicated at 8. These take the form of a fiat, zig-zag wire spring, the construction of which is best shown in Figure 5.

The wire is bent to zig-zag form by forming closed loops II which connect straight runs l2. Thus, the wires overlap and are in contact at l3, but are not connected at l3. This permits the wire to be bent on a comparatively long radius with the adjacent straight runs 12 closely spaced.

The arrangement gives extreme flexibility without danger of stressing the wire beyond the elastic limit in any ordinary use of the device. The ends of the wire core members 8 are shown connected to at least one of the spaced plates 1, 1, by small tongues [4 which are struck out of the metal of the shell 6 and which clamp the wire firmly. The attaching means is subject to wide variation, any rigid attachment being practicable.

The shell 6 is perforated as indicated at I5, the perforations being formed at reasonably close intervals and extending through both faces of the device. The perforations are simply for bonding purposes and may be omitted.

A tubular handle member I6 is formed integrally with the shell 6 and preferably is of elliptical cross section, the minor axis being in the direction of thickness of the duster head.

After the wire loops have been assembled to the head and clamped, an envelope ll of highly resilient material, preferably high-grade rubber or rubber compound, is molded in one piece, not only over the wire core members 8, but over the head 6 as well. Since the rubber penetrates the perforations I5, a secure bond is assured. It is practicable but not necessary to fill the hollow shell 6 with rubber. The resulting article is illustrated in Figure 1. In the embodiment illustrated, there are two wide and rather thin rubber-coated loops which are flexible in all directions and particularly flexible when sprung face-wise, out of their normal plane.

A cloth bag, illustrated at l8 in Figure 2 is drawn over the duster head and tied with a drawstring l9. The bag may be madeof any suitable fabric. Looped pile fabrics could be used, but napped fabrics such as fiannels are preferred.

the pre- The openingin the bag need be only large enough to pass over the width of the rigid shell 6, because the flexible loops can readily be collapsed to introduce them into the bag.

The combination of flat, universally flexible springs capable of extreme deformation without permanent distortion, :with a rubber envelope closely vulcanized about the springs and about the rigid shell in which they are mounted produces a device of desirable thinness with highly desirable characteristics as to resiliency, permis+ sibledeformation and other functional aspects as to which prior art devices have been deficient. The use of the looped, zig-zag flat spring is con sidered important because the loop formation in;

conjunction with the confining rubberenvelope prevents undue concentration of the bending action and thus increases greatly the life, of rthe device.

What I claim is: I

1. A duster head for sustaining a. fabric-envelope, said head comprising a frame member-and at least one thin, flat, universally :fleXible :loop

sustained thereby and projecting therefrom in substantially the same plane, each of such loops comprising a flat spring Wire core in which the wire is laid .in zig-zag overlapping passes connected by bends of substantial radius; and a thin rubber-like :envelope molded over said cores and extending over and bonded with at least a portion of said frame member to resist localized flexure at thejunctions of1said cores with said frame. I a I r CHARLOTTE P. DODGE. 

